Greece: Interlude 1

I haven’t really written an interlude on this trip because there hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary or random. So I thought I’d write about toilets. Actually, this might be a rant. Let’s see when I finish.

Most of you may already know that several countries in Europe do not offer toilet seat covers. So for women you have the added time to pull toilet paper, wipe the seat, then pull more toilet paper to cover the seat. That brings me to another point. In Greece, some bathrooms don’t have toilet seats. Do you know how difficult it is to use the restroom without a toilet seat? Each time I’m afraid I’m going to fall in! I’ve been doing yoga on my own in my hotel rooms to improve my balance so I don’t fall.

So this isn’t common, but today I went to a monastery where the bathrooms are like China: a hole in the ground. This hole wasn’t in the dirt. It actually looks like a toilet bowl is pressed into the ground and you have to squat over it. It also flushed and everything. With these types you have to make sure your shoes and clothes don’t get wet. Also, I took my jacket off, left my bag on a shelf and my camera because I didn’t need those dangling on me while I used the restroom. There was water all over the floor and I don’t know if that’s from the flushing toilets in the ground or something else. I’m totally washing my shoes when I get home!! Just thinking out loud, if you went out of your way to buy a toilet bowl and place it flat in the ground, why not just buy the whole stand and everything?

And before you ask, no I can’t hold it, and the nearest restrooms or next pit stop is at least an hour away usually, so I have to use these restrooms. I drink a ton of water to hydrate after hikes and what nots.

I’m only talking about public places. This doesn’t apply to bathrooms in hotels. Those have been lovely.

Rant over.